Junts claims alternative to Illa after two years

Junts per Catalunya has accused President Salvador Illa of mismanaging Catalonia and renewed its demands for a fiscal agreement and immigration powers.

Laia Serra · 8 Aug 2026 · 2 min read

Junts per Catalunya has positioned itself as an alternative to the Generalitat government led by Salvador Illa, accusing the Catalan president of damaging public services, infrastructure and social cohesion during his first two years in office.

For residents who rely on public services and transport infrastructure, the claims centre on Junts' assessment of the government's record. The party's parliamentary leader, Mònica Sales, made the remarks at a press conference at Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, according to Europa Press.

"He is damaging the country from top to bottom. He has caused infrastructure to collapse, degraded public services, squeezed the middle and working classes with higher taxes, set back Catalan and even damaged social cohesion," Sales said of Illa.

Sales said Catalonia was worse off than two years ago. She accused Illa, who leads the Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC), of being absent in the face of problems in Catalonia while following the interests of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in Madrid.

Junts repeats demands on funding and immigration

The Junts parliamentary leader identified security, infrastructure, housing and education as areas in which the party says the Generalitat government has failed.

On education, Sales criticised what Junts described as government incompetence and referred to overcrowded schools.
She also referred to the PISA assessment controversy and said Junts had already proposed a cross-party agreement on education.
Junts renewed its call for a concert econòmic, a fiscal arrangement, and for Catalonia to receive powers over immigration.

Salvador Illa was confirmed as president of the Generalitat, Catalonia's regional government, on 8 August 2024 with 68 votes in the 135-seat Parliament of Catalonia, following support from the PSC, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) and Comuns Sumar.

Sales summarised Junts' criticism with the phrase: "In Catalonia, poor government. In Madrid, submission."

Reported by Source Text Link, Redacción, reuters.com, News Desk, Jordi Martín, Mari Latorre, Carlota Camps, Iñaki Pardo Torregrosa, vilaweb.cat, RTVE.es, elmundo.es, catalannews.com, E-Notícies, Daniel Tercero, La Vanguardia Catalonia.